2011-12 Division I WBB All-America Teams

Lavanda Ross of Union (Tenn.) named NAIA Player of the Year

March 21, 2012

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By Alan Grosbach, Manager of Communications & Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2012 Division I Women’s Basketball All-America teams. Players were selected by the All-America committee with Lavanda Ross named as the NAIA National Player of the Year and Rob Edmisson of Oklahoma City tabbed as the Phyllis Holmes NAIA National Coach of the Year.

Ross, a senior guard from Jackson, Tenn., ranked amongst the top nationally in total scoring (672), field goal percentage (.572) and total steals (92). She averaged 18.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, while leading the Lady Bulldogs to their fourth-straight NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship final – ninth overall.

Ross, who surpassed 2,000 career points in Union’s 62-50 win against Georgetown in the National Championship semifinals, is making her second-straight appearance on the first team. She is the third Lady Bulldog to receive National Player of the Year honors (Josephine Owino, 2008 – 09; Stephanie Clark, Co-2005) and is the sixth Union player to repeat as a first team All-American.

Edmisson earns the Coach of the Year after guiding the Stars to the programs sixth championship crown – first since 2002. Oklahoma City ended the season with a 35-1 overall record, including tying for the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championship and a SAC tournament title. Edmisson is in his sixth season with the Stars and owns a 212-31 (.872) overall record.

In addition to Ross, nine players earn their second-straight All-America accolades, including Lindsey Wilson’s Ashley Rainey, who joins Ross as the only repeat first teamers from a year ago. Rainey led the Blue Raiders with 24.1 points and 12.0 rebounds per contest and is the first player in program history to repeat as a first team All-American.